Sideline eliminator for looms



Aug. 18, 1942. c. E. HARRIS SIDELINE ELIMINATOR FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 15, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l 'ITA farsa/2 [7b/W25 Aug- 18, 1942 c. E. HARRIS l 2,293,683

-SIDELINE ELIMINATOR FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. l5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 9 C. E. HARRIS SIDELINE ELIMINATOR FOR LooMs v Aug. 18,1942.

Filed Aug. 15, 1941 3 sheets-sheet s ai @bwa/maga Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED STATES TNT ENCE SIDELINE ELIMINATOR. FOR LOOMS Carson E.. Harris, Danville, Va.

Application August 15, 1,941, Serial No. 407,061

Claims.

This invention relates to looms of that type which employ a plurality of shuttles superposed in a shuttle box, which are brought to the. level of the lay in any predetermined order by a suitable box motion,

When the yarn from such shuttles is fixed in the fell by the beat up, the raising or lowering of the shuttles relative to the lay level draws out some yarn which in the changing positions of said shuttles forms slack loops between the shuttles and the adjacent selvage.

When a shuttle travels into the shed its yarn is likely, in the absence of means to prevent it, to Contact one or more of these loose loops or tails adhering to it frictionally, and drawing it into the shed where it is beat up, forming a defect or side line in the cloth, and must later be carefully picked out, generally leaving a loose spot or flaw in the cloth.

Various expedients have been tried to keep the loose tails out of contact with the yarn of the active shuttle. One of these is the provision of a system of wires arranged between the yarns of the several shuttles and between the shuttle box and selvage, selectively translatable synchronously with the movements of the shuttle box to displace the tails of all the shuttles excepting the yarn of the active shuttle out of the path of the active yarn. Wires, however,

are objectionable, in that they tend to break the yarn.

Another expedient is to employ threads instead of wires for selectively displacing the yarns of the inactive shuttles away from the vicinity of the active yarn, but in this instance the threads are rapidly frayed and worn through, due to continual friction of the shuttle yarns at the same points on said threads.

The subject invention employs threads as the selective displacing means but takes them from the warp and returns them to the warp whereby they continually advance as the weaving progresses, so that they continually present a fresh portion in contact with the yarns against which they rub in displacing them, avoiding concentrated wear with consequent breakage of the threads.

The object ofthe invention is the provision of an attachment for looms of the type described, for moving the continuously advancing threads selectively and synchronously with the movements of the shuttle box, characterized by simplicity of construction, ease in installation and efficiency in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawings throughout the several gures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a loom showing the attachment device of the subject invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of the loom frame illustrating the lay, shuttle box, motion mechanism therefor and the subject attachment;

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the loom frame illustrating the shuttle box and the side line preventing attachment in operative relation thereto;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the relation of the several holding cords to the shuttle yarns which they separate.

Referring now in detail to the several gures, the numeral I represents in general a loom having the warp beam 2, whip roll 3, breast beam 4 and cloth roll 5. The harness frames are collectively designated by the reference numeral 6. Lay mechanism is shown, including the oscillating sword 'I supporting the lay 8, the reed 9, and the shuttle box I0.

This is a four shuttle machine, the shuttles being designated, respectively, as'II, I2, I3 and I4. The shuttle box is mounted upon a lifter I5, Figure 3, which is raised or lowered by a suitable box motion I6 of conventional type, most of which is not shown, bringing the shuttles selectively in any desired order to the level of the top of the lay. One of said shuttles I3 is shown passing through the shed across the lay in Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows the loose tails of yarn at I'I, which are drawn olf from the shuttles after beat up through the reciprocatory movement of the shuttle box. It is these tails of the inactive shuttles which stick to the yarn of the active shuttle and are drawn into the cloth adjacent the selvage.

Figure 1 also shows two lengths of yarn I8 and 2B which are segregated from the selvage side of the warp and interposed between the yarns of the several shuttles, as shown. The yarn I8 is drawn from the whip roll through the elongated spaces in the harness frames so as not to be affected by the movement of said harness frames. It passes between the yarns of the lowermost shuttle II and the next shuttle I2. It passes through a direction changing eye 2I on the breast beam, then between the yarns ofthe shuttles I2 and I3 to the under side of the whip roll about which it passes, being again tied into the warp. The yarn 28 is taken from the warp, passed through the spaces in the harness, then between the yarns of the shuttles I3 and I4, Thus, only two yarns or holding cords are necessary to separate the yarns of the shuttles, but as the yarn 20 must be again tied into the warp, it passes through an eye 2| and then about the lower side of the whip roll, then back from the top of the whip roll where it is tied into the warp.

The reason for utilizing two Warp threads for the holding cords is that one warp thread would have to make so many direction changes that -it would break under frictional strain. l

Since the warp is continually passing into the cloth, the holding cords will be continually advancing so as to present fresh spots to contact with the yarns which they separate, thereby preventing wearing through and breaking of the holding cords. It is not necessary that any holding cord should lie above the toprnost yarn nor below the lowermost yarn, for there is nothing above or below these respective vyarns to be separated therefrom.

We now come to the specific device of the subject invention which is a means for selectively translating or moving the holding cords in a vertical plane so as to divert the shuttle yarns which they control away from the path of passage of the active 'shuttle which is the shuttle I4 in Figure 2.

Said device comprises a frame 22 which, as shown, has the form of an inverted U in its front aspect with one end angularly outwardly offset as at 23 and having a rearwardly extending bracket arm 24 adapted to be bolted as 'at 25 to the sword 1. The opposite limbs 25 and 21 of said frame are formed with horizontally aligned perforations, affording bearings for the respective shafts 28, 29 and '36. Said shafts are supported against endwise movement in one direction by 'xed collars 3l, and in the other direction by 'coil springs 32, which surround said shafts, being anchored at one end to the adjacent limb l21 of said frame and at 'the other, in collars 33 fixed to the shafts.

The shafts 28, 29 and 39 extend horizontally in b'oth directions beyond the frame 22, so that at one end they intersect longitudinal vertical planes passing through the reed 9, while at their other ends they intersect longitudinal vertical planes 'passing through the shuttle box.

On the ends of said shafts which lie in the planes of the reed are the radially extending levers 34, 35 and 35 at the ends of which the needles 31, 38 and 39 are pivotally mounted. Said needles pass upwardly through perforations 40, 4I and 42 in the lay 8. The tops of said needles are provided with eyes 43, 44 and 45 through which pass the holding cords I8, I8' and 2U, the cord I8 being the return portion of the cord I8.

When the radial arms 34, 35 and 36 move upwardly, the needles are raised, elevating the holding cords to which they are connected. When the said radial arms move downwardly, the needles are depressed, lowering the respective holding cords. The radial arms do not necessarily raise and lower at the saine time or in any certain sequence. The order in which they move is determined by the particular box motion which moves the shuttle box. The shafts 28, 29 and 30 which move the radial arms 34, 35 and 35 are themselves operated in one direction by means of the cams v4i, 41 and 48 secured to the portions of the shafts 28, 29 and 3Q which extend toward the shuttle box. Said cams are normally kept projected toward said shuttle box by the springs 32. The shuttle box is provided with a series of strap-like cams 49, 53 and 5I. These cams are of different length so as to engage the respective cams 45, 41 and 48 at various stages in the descending movement of the shuttle box. When the cams 48, 41 and 48 or any of them are so engaged, the shafts to which they are affixed rotate in a direction to depress the needles. When the shuttle box rises so as to release one or more of the strap cams 49, 50 and 5I from the cams 46, 41 and 48, the shafts 28, 29 and 39 are rocked by the springs 32 to a position in which the needles are elevated.

Inasmuch as the box motion may be set to present the shuttles in any desired order to the lay level, it is obvious that the needles 31, 38 and 39 will rise and fall in the proper sequence to move the holding 'cords away from the path of the yarn of the active shuttle, said cords pushaside the tails of yarn of the inactive shuttles which they support or overlie, thus clearing the path for the active yarn.

The shafts 28, 29 and 38 are provided with the respective stops 52, 53 and 54, which limit the upward movement of the needles under the urge of the springs 32. The stop 52 is shown as abutting against the shaft 29, the stop 53 abutting against the shaft 39, while the stop 54 engages the offset portion 23 of the frame 22.

It has been stated that for a four shuttle machine only three holding cords, and therefore, only three needles are required for divert ing the loose tails from 'the path of the yarn of the active shuttle. A fourth needle 55 is employed, however, solely for the purpose of supporting the idle return portion 2e 'of the holding cord 20. This needle projects through `a h'ole in the lay, in alignment with the other needles, and is a duplicate of the needle 31, being pivotally mounted at the end vof a lever 56 fixed to the shaft 28 and being arranged in the same ane gular phase as the lever 34. Thus, the needle 55 moves in the same phase and to 'the same 'extent as the needle 31, the yarn 2'9 which it supports lying between the yarn from the topmost shuttle I4 and that from the shuttle 'I3 next below.

It will be obvious from the above description that the device of the present invention is 'not limited to use with a four shuttle loom but by the addition or subtraction of needles its capacity may be increased or reduced, according to the number of shuttles to be served.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I have found to be a preferred and practical form of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction and arrangement of parts is by way of example and not to be construed 'as limiting the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Sideline eliminator for looms of that type which employ a plurality of shuttles superpos'ed in a shuttle box which are brought to the level of the lay in any predetermined order by a suitable box motion and in which one or more threads derived from the selvage side of the warp are passed in single threads forward and back between the tails of the yarns of the several shuttles which extend from shuttle box t'o fell, forming holding cords which continuously ad- Vance into the cloth, means for operating said holding cords for moving the inactive tails out of the path of the yarn of the active shuttle synchronously with the movement of the shuttle box, comprising a frame secured to the lay mechanism to move with the lay, a plurality of shafts journaled in said frame, extending at one end into operative proximity to the shuttle box and at the other end to positions adjacent the Warp selvage, levers one for each holding cord extending laterally from the portions of said shafts adjacent the selvage to positions beneath the lay, needles having eyes at the top pivotally attached to said levers and freely passing through perforations in the lay, said holding cords being threaded through the eyes of the respective needles, and cooperating means on the shuttle box and the adjacent portions of said shafts for raising and depressing said needles synchronously with and in sequence responsive to the movements of the shuttle box.

2. Sideline eliminator for looms of that type which employ a plurality of shuttles superposed in a shuttle box which are brought to the level of the lay in any predetermined order by a suitable box motion and in which one or more threads derived from the selvage side of the Warp are passed in single threads forward and back between the tails of the yarns of the several shuttles which extend from shuttle box to fell, forming holding cords Which continuously advance into the cloth, means for operating said holding cords for moving the inactive tails out of the path of the yarn of the active shuttle synchronously with the movement of the vshuttle box, comprising a frame secured to the lay mechanism to move with the lay, a plurality of shafts journaled in said frame, extending at one end into operative proximity to the shuttle box and at the other end to positions adjacent the Warp selvage, levers one for each holding cord extending laterally from the portions of said shafts adjacent the selvage to positions beneath the lay, needles having eyes at the top pivotally attached to said levers and freely passing through perforations in the lay, said holding cords being threaded through the eyes of the respective needles, cams on said shuttle box, cam levers secured to said shafts and extending toward said shuttle box, springs for maintaining said shafts with the cam levers in the path of movement of said shuttle box cams, to be engaged thereby, and maintaining the needles in elevated positions, said shafts being oscillated to depress said needles by the engagement of said shuttle box cams with said shaft cams.

3. Sideline eliminator as claimed in claim 2, said shafts being in spaced superposed position in said frame and said shuttle box cams being of different lengths to operate said shafts in proper sequence.

4. Sideline eliminator for looms of that type which employ a plurality of shuttles superposed in a shuttle box which are brought to the level of the lay in any predetermined order by a shuttle box motion and in which one or more threads derived from the selvage side of the Warp are passed in single threads forward and back between the tails of the yarns of the several shuttles which extend from shuttle box to fell, forming holding cords which continuously advance into the cloth, means for operating said holding kcords for moving the inactive tails out of the path of the yarn of the active shuttle synchronously with the movements of the shuttle box, comprising a U-shaped frame secured to the lay mechanism to move the lay, a plurality of shafts journaled in the opposite limb members of said frame and extending therebeyond at both ends, said shafts at one end being in operative proximity to the shuttle box and at the other end to a position adjacent the Warp selvage, levers one for each holding cord extending laterally from the ends of said shafts adjacent the selvage to positions beneath the lay, needles having eyes at the top pivotally attached to said levers and passing through perorations in the lay, the holding cords being threaded through the eyes of the respective needles, cams on said shuttle box, cam levers secured to the portions of said shafts in proximity to said shuttle box and extending toward said shuttle box, springs surrounding said shafts Within said frame anchored to said frame and shafts for maintaining said shafts normally in position with said cam levers extending into the path of movement of said shuttle box cams and maintaining said needles in elevated position, said shuttle box cams being engageable with said cam levers in the movements of said shuttle box for oscillating said shafts against the bias of said springs depressing said needles, and stops on said shafts for determining the limit of elevation of said needles.

5. Sideline eliminator for looms of that type which employ shuttle box mechanism including a plurality of shuttles superposed in a shuttle box which are brought to the level of the raceway in any predetermined order by a suitable box motion and in which one or more threads derived from the selvage side of the warp are passed in single threads forward and back between the tails of the yarns of the several shut- I tles which extend from shuttle box to selvage,

forming holding cords which continuously advance into the cloth, means for operating said holding cords for moving the inactive tails out of the path of the yarn of the active shuttle synchronously with the movement of the shuttle box, comprising a frame secured to the lay mechanism to move with the lay, a plurality of shafts journaled in said frame, positioned in operative proximity tothe shuttle box, levers one for each holding cord extending to positions beneath the lay, needles having eyes at the top, pivotally attached to said levers to be reciprocated thereby passing through guide apertures movable With the lay, said holding cords being threaded through the eyes of the respective needles, and cooperating means carried by the shuttle box mechanism and the adjacent portions of said shafts for raising and depressing said needles synchronously with and in sequence responsive to the movements of the shuttle box.

CARSON E. HARRIS. 

